Akefia
by dri-dri93
Summary: Ryou is lonely. His yami was gone. Suddenly, Disturbed blasted from the speakers... 1 year after the ceremonial battle. NOT YAOI!


FSDM- hey, guys. sorry about the EXTREMELY long absence.

anyway, here's another story for you. and here is my disclaimer:

I do not own Yugioh, nor do I own the songs "The Night" by Disturbed or "Sound of Madness" by Shinedown. I only use them in my story.

Also, this is in no way yaoi. I am not against yaoi, but I felt like writing this piece in a more friendshippy way.

-()-

Ryou had changed a lot since he had taken up the Ring. His days used to be laid-back, him content to draw and listen to calm music. But now, even though the spirit had left, he still kept some of its habits. His new favorite song was The Night by Disturbed. Back then, he felt that it described his predicament very well. Its strong beat helped to drive away his pain and loneliness. Its words described his predicament so accurately; it was almost like it was written for him. He now started to hum along to the non-existent tune. Then he began to sing along.

"Are you gonna remain a slave for the rest of your life? Give into the night!" he sang. He was alone; he did not fear embarrassment. His darker side had already taken away all of his credibility. Now all that he had was memories and wishes. Yugi and his friends still came by, but they were leery around him. He could tell that they were just waiting for him to give way to madness.

He understood their fear. Sometimes, he had almost screamed his pain to the world, back when his sadistic yami had still tortured him. But now, he was sure that he was perfectly sane. Sure, he had changed a lot, but that was normal. Anyone who had gone through such a trauma as he had would have changed a little bit.

Then he stopped, and just thought. He remembered the few times that his yami had actually seemed kind. He knew that it was almost never, but it still had happened. Usually, he only had acted that way when Ryou had already been tortured past the point of madness and delirium. Then the spirit's cold face would go blank, and then an expression would come over his face that could only be described as horrified. Ryou would be delirious and almost driven to madness, so he never could understand his yami's mutterings.

But he could understand speech, even if he hadn't taken it in. One time, he had actually heard his yami apologize through the haze, then mention something about 'Zork' and 'forced to do this.' He had asked him the next day, when he could speak and think clearly again. The only reaction he had gotten was a slap across an already bruised cheek. His beating had been especially bad that night.

But it had been a year since the battle that finally exorcised him. He was free of the darkness that had taken control of his body. He had never given into the night.

-()-

Suddenly, Disturbed began to blast from a speaker in the upstairs bedroom. He jumped, and then recognized the song. He shook his heads in denial: that was his yami's favorite song. He ran up the stairs, taking then two at a time. He ran into his bedroom to find Yami Bakura himself sitting on the side of his bed. He blanched, and then blinked, rubbing his eyes. His yami seemed almost whole, not like a spirit.

It wasn't possible. He had his own body. But the Pharaoh, Isis, and Yami Bakura himself had all said that only the gods could grant the yamis bodies, and it was not their will! But there his yami was, sitting on Ryou's bed, as he had so many times. Ryou finally got up the courage to go and tap him on the shoulder.

Yami Bakura turned, and Ryou knew immediately that something was different. He could see it in his face. Then he saw that his yamis eyes were light lavender, not the deep brown of his yami's eye color, nor the chocolate brown of his own eyes. And there was something about his expression; it seemed almost slightly gentler. Not much, but enough to keep him from jumping back and begging for the yami not to hurt him.

Then his yami spoke. Not much, but again, just enough to convince Ryou that something was very different about his Yami. He only spoke two words: "Hello, hikari." Then he turned back to the music, bobbing his head with the music again. Ryou just stood there, dumbfounded by the sudden change in attitude.

Then he finally asked his yami shakily, "Who are you? You are not my Yami."

Yami Bakura snickered, but it did not have the malevolent quality that it used to have. He finally answered, "Oh, hikari. You don't understand. Your 'yami' of the past was not your true yami. That was Zork. I am your true yami; I was being suppressed and taken over by the Dark Lord's influence. Don't call me Bakura. My true name is Akefia."

"Akefia? But that…"

"Yes, I used to be a thief, in the days of Ancient Egypt, stealing from the Pharaoh in revenge. But when my soul was sent into the darkness, Zork found me, twisted my thoughts to his agenda. Now that that monster has been sent deep into the Shadow Realm, my true self is free."

"So, you are my true Yami? Why do you have a solid form?"

"Apparently the gods took pity on my plight and, once I was free, gave me a second chance with you. After all, you have been slowly going insane from the loneliness. And you never did know the truth. The gods told me that I could stay until you died. Then we both would be taken to the Afterlife. They also told the same to the Pharaoh and that sadistic creep with the sandy hair, though I don't understand why."

"Oh…my." Ryou just stood there. He couldn't take it in. It was too much information to take in. Then the phone rang insistently, saving him from falling onto the bed in shock. He went to answer it.

When he picked up, Yugi was speaking too quickly for Ryou's shell-shocked brain to follow. Then, Baku…Akefia grabbed the phone from Ryou's frozen hand and growled into it. "Shut up, pipsqueak. Ryou's not feeling well. I know what you want. Just come over." Then he hung up, ignoring the shocked yelp and then annoyed growl from the speaker, from Yugi and the Pharaoh, respectively.

-()-

About five minutes later, the entire gang, plus Marik and his sadistic Yami, showed up on the doorstep of Ryou's house. Yugi knocked, but no one answered, so Jonouchi and Honda pushed Yugi aside and threatened to break the door down over Yugi pleading for them to calm down. Akefia finally opened the door and glared for five seconds, freezing both knuckleheads in place. Then he slammed the door in their faces.

This time, Jonouchi kicked the door a few times, and then finally realized that he hadn't heard a lock on the door engage. He grabbed the doorknob and turned. It opened soundlessly. Behind him, Anzu sighed and muttered under her breath, "Of course. You almost knock the door down, and only _then_ realize that it's unlocked. Knucklehead."

The gang walked in, looking in. They had never been this far into Ryou's house. Once they got to the foot of the stairs, they began to hear music. But it wasn't music that they ever thought they'd hear in this house. It was metal, ands a familiar voice was singing along.

They ran up the stairs, to find the first door open and the unknown music blaring out. Yugi was the first in, his yami not far behind. What they found shocked them. Ryou, sweet, innocent little Ryou, was bobbing his head and singing to some song.

When Honda stepped in, he recognized the song's beat and began to silently sing along. "I created the sound of madness, wrote the book on pain, somehow I'm still here to explain…" He noticed then that a form was standing in the shadows. All he could see was white hair, pointed and ruffled as if it had gone through a windstorm, and lavender eyes. He knew the white hair, but he didn't know the eyes. Either way, white hair like that meant only one thing. "Evil Bakura!" he screamed, startling both the gang and Ryou. The gang quit staring at Ryou and Ryou quit singing, quickly shutting off the music, ready to do damage control.

"It's not who you think it is," he yelled over the challenges that the entire gang, sans Marik and his yami, were shouting, "That demon whom I thought was my yami was Zork in disguise. This is my true yami. Yugi, Atem, Jonouchi, Honda, Anzu, Marik…and his yami…meet Akefia. He was the thief who challenged you back in ancient times, Pharaoh. Please don't accuse him of the things which Zork did through him. He didn't know what he was doing."

Akefia cut in, stepping out of the shadows with an eerily familiar smirk on his features. "Actually, my hikari, I did know. But I didn't care. By then, Zork had already invaded my very heart, blackening my very soul. My true soul was almost gone, ripped to shreds by the Dark One's evil."

Atem then interrupted, disbelief on every inch of his face. "You mean to tell is that your actions were both intentional and perpetrated by Zork? How is that possible?"

Akefia just snickered, staring at the Pharaoh's clothing. Atem looked down, not understanding what was so funny, and saying so. Akefia finally broke down in a fit of laughter at that, pointing at the hem of the shirt that Yugi had given him. Everyone looked down, seeing nothing wrong at first, then Jonouchi noticed something odd.

"Hey, Yug, er, Atem! How much did you grow?"

"I am the same height as always, Jonouchi."

"Well, then that shirt must be one of Yugi's older ones, when he was even shorter than he is now. No offense meant, pal.

"What, Jonouchi? I don't understand what you are trying to tell me."

"Well, man, that shirt, when you move, at least, shows at least an inch of your stomach. It's a little too short, ya know? Like Marik's shirts."

"_What was that, boy? Are you criticizing my hikari's wardrobe?_"

At that outburst by Yami Marik, Jonouchi shrunk back, soon followed by the rest of the crew. The yami's face had distorted again, bringing back memories everyone wished to forget. Marik quickly jumped in, trying to calm down the violent teenage spirit before someone or something was killed, destroyed, or at least hurt badly. When Yami Marik was finally calm, Marik glared at Jonouchi. Then Ryou spoke.

"Okay, everyone. First of all, Jonouchi, apologize to Marik and his yami."

Jou quickly apologized, stumbling over the words.

"Yami, Jou is right. That shirt is a little bit short.. However, it is not as bad as he insinuated. Please calm down, and quit trying to tug it down. That will completely ruin that nice shirt."

Yami stopped, amazed at the tone of authority in Ryou's normally calm voice. 'Maybe his yami taught him something too. Maybe the gods didn't just torment him.'

"Akefia, quit laughing. That was cruel. Don't do that again, or I will be forced to do something drastic."

Said yami looked up, also surprised, then smirked at his innocent hikari. "Oh, like what?"

"Like make you work. I imagine that your being here will double, if not triple, the cost of my lifestyle. If I wasn't so caring, you would be either on the streets or working for your living."

At that, the entire gang was struck by disbelief. This was not the Ryou they knew. The Ryou they knew would have weakly tried to do damage control, then given up with a sigh. But his Ryou took charge. This Ryou was not afraid to threaten, to intimidate. And he was damn good at it, too.

-()-

Far away, in the realm of the gods, the god Ra chuckled, causing a roll of thunder somewhere in the country of China. "I like his new spunk. Isis, I now do not feel as bad, assigning him the destiny which I did."

Isis smiled gently, touching her husband's arm. "Of course, my lord. You are a wise and good lord over the world."

Suddenly Bastet walked in, muttering to herself, her tail lashing. Ra looked up, amazed. Bastet was usually laid back, like the cats over which she ruled. "What is wrong, Bastet?"

The cat goddess glanced up, finally realizing that she had accidentally walked into the throne room of Ra. She immediately knelt, showing reverence to her king. Ra finally had to order her to stand and tell him what was wrong.

She straightened, still keeping her left foot forward and her eyes down respectfully, in the style of the ancient Egyptians. "My Pharaoh, why did you let that abomination back into the world of the living? You know what he once did!"

Ra nodded, solemn. "I know, Bast. I still remember how he desecrated your temple. But, can you blame him? You had, after all, sent your soldiers after him. You always did admire Atem, and you attacked anyone who hated him. He had good cause to hate you," at this the disgruntled cat goddess looked up, about to argue. "No. Do not speak. I am not done. As I was saying, he also had no reason to destroy your temple as he did. That is one of the things which I gave him a second chance for. He needs a new life to repent for his many crimes."

Once again the goddess looked up at him, tail lashing and eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth, breath hissing in, about to confront her king.

Ra held up his hand and spoke forcefully, "I have spoken. So it is written , so it is done!"

Bastet, knowing better than to anger Ra, left. Ra stared after her, disappointed. "Oh, Isis. I wish that I did not have to anger her. But I must. If she attacks Akefia, she would upset the balance of the universe, and that I cannot allow to happen."

Isis just placed her hand on the great sun god's arm.

-()-

Ignorant of the divine argument going on above their heads, the gang was sitting in Ryou's living room, listening to Akefia tell his story.

" And I felt a tugging on my very soul, and then I found myself in Ryou's spare bedroom." Akefia stood up, as if to leave and go back to the bedroom. But Ryou grabbed his arm, silently begging for him to stay. The thief rolled his eyes, but sat back down. Ryou motioned to Yugi, a knowing look in his eyes. Yugi nodded, then started to speak. "Everyone, I thank the gods for giving me Yami back. I am betting that Ryou and Marik feel the same way. However, I can feel deep in my gut that since they have come back, something will happen. But no matter what, we will face it with our best foot forward, and we will face it together."

Akefia and Yami Marik both made gagging sounds at the friendship implications, but they also nodded, consenting to the idea. Whatever happened, they would not split apart and war with one another, no matter how much they wanted to. They would work together until the very end.

-()-

FSDM- So, how didja like it? Constructive criticism is welcome, flames are not. Again, this is in no way yaoi, and is also probably a stand-alone fic. I may one day write a sequel, but not now.

I hated the ending, but oh well. I'm not gonna rewrite it again!

Please review!


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